Blood and Shadows (The Saga of the Seven Stars)

by Dayne Edmondson

  The creature, angered by the taunting Dawyn had done, scuttled forward, its arms bent with its hand-claws pointed toward him. It continued to open and close its mandibles as it approached.

  Dawyn had chosen to stand in the center of the clearing, so he would have plenty of room to fight. Once the Krai’kesh was in melee range of Dawyn, it slashed out with both claws, seeking to strike Dawyn down. Dawyn raised and crossed his blades, catching the claws on them. He strained against the force of the blow, but held his ground. Years of training with the blades had honed his muscles and he was thus able to withstand more than an average warrior could.

  Not daring to move any closer to the razor sharp mandibles, Dawyn shoved against the claws of the creature, pushing them back far enough for him to dislodge his blades, and slashed toward the crab-like legs. His strike was too slow, however, and its claws slammed down to pin the blades to the ground. The creature leaned in as if to snap at him, but Dawyn was able to slide his blades out and leap to the side, escaping his head being crushed or ripped from his body.

  The creature was fast and smart – it seemed sentient and to have fought warriors such as him recently. It knew what to expect and how to counter. Stepping back, Dawyn raised a hand, signaling his companions to strike.

  The earth around the tips of the feet of the creature seemed to ripple as if boiling for a moment. Moments later the creature’s feet began to sink into the ground. The creature, unsure of what was going on, tried to move its feet but found it couldn’t.

  A light appeared in Alivia’s hands as she drew energy from the campfire. A large stream of pure orange fire, more powerful than if there had been no other source of energy around, streaked toward the creature, steaming the water in the air as it went. The bar of flame slammed into the creature and it roared in pain and anger. As the last of the stream struck it, smoke rose from its charred carapace. Dawyn held his breath and hoped the creature might be dead but, a moment later, it swung its claws around and continued clacking its mandibles. That would have been too easy, Dawyn thought to himself.

  Daggers thrown from Horace came next. The man, having traveled with Favio for many years, had much skill in the knife and threw with expert precision. One blade struck one of the creature’s rear legs, burying it hilt-deep, while another struck its back and bounced off. Another pair of daggers flew and struck the second rear leg of the creature. It howled in pain as its rear legs collapsed. Had the creature not been bound in the dirt by Alivia’s magic its rear legs would have crumpled. Dark fluid leaked out of the wounds.

  Anwyn, realizing she could not stand against the creature with a simple wooden quarterstaff, transformed herself into a large hawk. Because of the unique ability druids had, that of converting their own body’s matter and matter within other living creatures, a druid could convert all of their matter into the form of another living animal. The caveat was the creature a druid transformed into had to be a living creature and it had to exist in nature. Druids in the past had tried to draw fantastic creatures that may not have even existed and turn into them. Such attempts had been disastrous, as trying to replace the Mother of the World by creating a new species was not within their power. When a druid transformed into a creature, her entire mass was used up. Attempting to transform into a giant bear would result in turning into a bear that possessed the same mass that Anwyn had in human form. The same was applied to any animal, which was one of the reasons druids did not turn into flies or cockroaches, they would be huge and could die in that form.

  Once transformed into a hawk, Anwyn flew straight to the back of the creature and landed on its armored head. There, she pecked at the eyes of the creature and succeeded in poking out a pair of its eyes before being swatted at in anger and flying away. Transforming near her clothing, she dressed and picked up her quarterstaff.

  The Krai’kesh, having been immobilized, scorched, pierced and clawed at, was growing angrier than before, but it also appeared to be growing weaker. It was leaking a lot of its bodily fluid and, left alone, would die soon. However, Dawyn was not one to take chances.

  Striding forward, more confident now, Dawyn extended the time dilation effect around himself and his vicinity. The claws of the creature streaked out once again for him but slowed as they met the dilation field. Dawyn batted them aside and sliced down at its legs, each blade going for a leg. His mage-forged blades sliced through the monster’s unarmored legs with little difficulty and the creature toppled forward. Dawyn stepped back as it crashed to the ground.

  Despite its current position of helplessness, it had a lot of fight left. Reaching down with its claws, the creature used its appendages to hold itself up as it wagged its head from side to side, trying to ward off any attackers with it sharp mandibles. Fortunately, Dawyn had kept his distance after slicing the legs of.

  Dawyn studied the creature called a Krai’kesh and spoke at last. “Why did you kill all of those people? Why are you here? Are others with you?”

  The Krai’kesh watched Dawyn with intent eyes full of what Dawyn imagined to be hatred. Dawyn could imagine no compassion or remorse within a creature this sinister – only pure evil.

  Once it was clear the creature could not communicate with Dawyn, he drew back his blades, pointed toward the creature, and thrust them into its neck. The blades hit the carapace on the creatures back after slicing through the soft tissue before it and more fluids came pouring out.

  The creature began to let out a terrible, high-pitched shriek that seemed to be a death cry. Its arms collapsed and its head fell to the ground. The Krai’kesh twitched a few more times and was at last still.

  The companions gathered around the clearing while cheering in triumph. It had taken all four of them, but they had managed to kill the Krai’kesh. The woods were safe for the time being. Turning, they left the corpse of the creature, along with the pile of ash from the fire, behind.

  Chapter 17: Tales of Prophecy

  After arriving back from the woods, the companions each took a hot bath at the Angry Bull and changed into cleaner clothing. After their baths, they sat at one of the large tables in the center of the inn.

  “I’m sorry for cutting you off earlier, Alivia,” Dawyn said. “It’s just that time was critical at that moment and I couldn’t waste it worrying about the future.”

  Alivia looked at Dawyn. “Oh, don’t worry about that, Dawyn. I took no offense. But will you let me continue my story about the prophecies now?”

  “Of course. Please continue.”

  Alivia nodded her head. “Where was I? Oh right, the part where the Founders laid down a prophecy in the archives that said when the Krai’kesh returned it would usher in the Age of the Saviors. It is said that the saviors will be forever young and possessed of tremendous strength of mind. It is also said they will unite the world under a single banner, for only united can our world stand against the threat the Krai’kesh pose.”

  “And the prophecies do not speak of when this Age might begin?” Dawyn asked.

  “They say when the Krai’kesh appear in the land, the Saviors should be expected. Let me try to recall one of the passages. ‘When the ancient enemy rises from the north, look to the east, for down from the mountains shall come the champions of mankind to lead the world to victory.’”

  “The east? That could mean anywhere. The world is round, you know. East could mean Imperial lands for all we know. Did the prophecy mention getting Imperial support? They’d be more likely to conquer us than help us.”

  “That prophecy was made in Tar Ebon many centuries ago. It is believed by most who study them that ‘east’ in this passage refers to east of Tar Ebon and the mountains being spoken of are the White Mountains.”

  Dawyn found his mind wandering to the leather satchel that, at this moment sat upstairs in the room he had been given. Within the satchel lay a letter. Could the letter have spoken the truth? He shook his head. He had other things to worry about first before he could address the letter.

  “That is
interesting information,” Dawyn said at last. “Do any scholars believe these prophecies to speak the truth?”

  Alivia shrugged. “Scholars are divided in opinions regarding the prophecies. Some scholars believe the prophecy speaks truth, while others believe it can be interpreted in a different way, while still others deny such prophecies exist and claim there is no way the Founders could predict such things, as they were not omnipotent. As for me, I admit I was skeptical until I saw this creature tonight.”

  “But now you believe the prophecies?”

  “I still don’t quite know. I would need to perform more research on the prophecies in order to better interpret them. In any event, the appearance of this creature must be reported to the Tower.”

  “I agree. The king should find out as well, of course. A threat from the north sounds ominous.”

  “The royal family has known about the prophecies since their creation over a thousand years ago. After the Founding, the Haguesfort was built as a safeguard to protect Tar Ebon from such a threat from the north.”

  The Haguesfort was a massive fortress located to the far north of Tar Ebon, where the Tar River met the Hagues River. The Hagues River was known for its extreme rapids and frigid waters, making it difficult to cross in boats or by swimming. The river ran between the White Mountains and the Windy Mountains and was fed by melt-water from both. At the crossing where the Hagues fed the Tar River, a massive bridge more than a hundred spans wide arched over the raging waters below. The bridge was created by powerful earth mages, so the stone would never crack, chip or crumble. The bridge looked very similar to how it had a thousand years earlier. The Haguesfort had not had its walls enhanced like the great cities such as Tar Ebon. It was deemed too large of a project in a time when the mage population was dwindling.

  “That is something I did not know,” Dawyn said. “I knew of the Haguesfort, of course, but not of its true purpose. It makes more sense now.”

  “I’m glad I could help,” Alivia replied with a smile.

  Anwyn cleared her throat. “So what is the next step? Are we to free Horace’s wife, Eugenie?”

  “Yes, we are, Anwyn,” Dawyn said. “But first, I suggest we get some rest. We have had an exciting evening, but we will require our rest if we are to go up against the lord and lady and their manor.” The others agreed.

  “Good night everyone,” Horace said. “We have accomplished a great thing and I suspect we will continue tomorrow. I’ll make sure to cook up a hearty breakfast for us in the morning.”

  “That would be most appreciated, Horace,” Anwyn said. “I’m famished.”

  “So famished you could eat a horse?” Dawyn said, winking at her.

  Anwyn stared at him for a moment, not understanding the joke.

  “Never mind,” Dawyn said. “Must be a local thing where I come from.” Idiot, Dawyn thought to himself.

  “If I were in one of my carnivorous animal forms then, yes, I would be hungry enough to eat a horse.”

  “Well, I’m off to bed also,” Dawyn announced. “Good night,” he said before going upstairs to his bedroom.

  Chapter 18: Justice

  The next morning the companions gathered to break their fast on a meal of sausage, bacon and fried potatoes that Horace had stored in a cold room in the basement of the inn. After so many days of travel rations, it was good to eat actual food again.

  “So,” Alivia said, as she chewed her sausage, “what’s the plan?”

  “The plan is two-fold,” Dawyn replied, as he took a bite of his bacon. “We will go up to the gates and announce who I am. They will let us in or we will force our way in. Once inside, you and Horace will split off to locate the dungeons and find Eugenie, while Anwyn and I go to meet with the lord and lady. We will attempt to negotiate the unconditional surrender of their titles and lands to the king. If they refuse I will then be forced to deal with them. As for the two of you,” Dawyn pointed with a half-eaten piece of bacon, “once you find Eugenie, you will wait for my signal to leave with her unless you are pressed and must escape. Anwyn and I will be creating a distraction and it should give you time to escape with minimal confrontation.”

  “What will your signal be?” Alivia asked.

  “It will either be the lord and lady surrendering to the king’s justice, in which case I shall send a messenger down to you, or a lot of fighting. Though I suspect the first option may also result in fighting, since the manor is rumored to be full of assassins. In any case, expect to hear alarm bells and shouts followed by the sound of running feet toward the throne room if they fail to surrender.”

  “That seems simple enough,” replied Horace. “Right, Alivia?”

  Alivia just rolled her eyes. “Sure, easy as pie. Except you’re forgetting the best-laid plans never go as planned. What if we get into the prison and an ambush awaits us, or one of Lord Garik’s personal assistants, that mage or the shadow-walker, is in with the lord and lady? You are powerful but you can’t defeat every opponent with brute force.”

  Dawyn nodded his head in acknowledgment. “That is very true. But what we can do is plan for the unexpected and expect it."

  The group packed their supplies and made their way to the stables to collect their horses. Horace had a small gray gelding named Fred. Together they rode toward the manor. It was late morning when they arrived at the gates. The guards did not look like traditional guards of noblemen. They looked like dirty, unkempt scoundrels. It was likely most of the guards that had been loyal to the lord and lady had either been killed or exiled as the assassins’ guild’s influence on the two nobles grew. The fact there were untrained fools at the gate turned into an advantage for the group.

  “Halt,” one of the men ordered, as the group approached. “Who are you and what’s your business here?”

  “My name is Dawyn Darklance,” Dawyn announced. “I am the commander of the Shadow Watch Guard and right hand of the king of Tar Ebon. My companions and I are here with business to discuss with the Lord Tomas and Lady Igraine.”

  The man seemed surprised at first, slowly recovering his wits. “Uh, do they know you are coming?”

  “No they do not. Now open these gates or face the fury of the king’s hand.”

  The assassin was not very bright and he turned and ordered the gates opened. “Come ahead, my lord,” he said with a stiff, poorly-performed bow.

  The group rode through the gates and saddled their horses in the stables. There was a stable boy there, but he was very shy and afraid to come out. It took much coaxing for him to come out of his hiding place in the loft above the stables. He sulked as he took their horses, but brightened when Dawyn gave him three gold marks.

  “You’ll see double that, lad, if you take good care of our horses and have them ready for us upon our return. Though you have to promise you won’t tell anyone, not anyone, whose horses these are. Can you promise that?”

  The boy, who couldn’t have seen more than fourteen summers, nodded, excited. “Yes sir, you can count on me. I mean, I promise.” The boy gave the best salute he could.

  Dawyn returned it with a smile. “Good lad. Thank you.”

  Instead of going through the main doors of the manor, the companions went through the servants’ entrance, which was nearest the stables and led into the kitchens. As they opened the door, the aroma of cooking chicken wafted out. Inside, they found several men and women toiling hard to prepare a meal for their lord and lady. There were no guards in here and no one questioned them at all, which Dawyn thought odd, until he realized asking questions in this hostile environment could get a servant killed. Those who remained in the manor had learned to not draw attention.

  Exiting the kitchens, they arrived in the actual servants’ quarters, where the cooks and other servants slept. Dawyn had been in the manor two previous times during his time as commander of the Shadow Watch guard, always accompanied by the king and other Guards. Back then, he had memorized every corridor, entrance and exit, including secret passages. Much o
f that knowledge remained, despite the years. He knew just where to go to exit into the hallway nearest the dungeons.

  Coming up on the dungeons, the group stopped. Even now, no one had spoken to them. Servants had scurried by without saying a word, while the few armed men they saw looked intimidated and must have thought they were meant to be there.

  “Alright, this is it,” Dawyn began. “Alivia, Horace, this is your stop. When you get down to the bottom of the stairs you turn right and there is the guard table. The door on the other side should have guards as well. I will leave it to the two of you to decide how best to get in without setting off alarms everywhere.”

  “Don’t worry,” Alivia said. “We’ve got it under control. We’ll have Eugenie out in no time. You two just worry about Tomas and Igraine.” With that, Alivia and Horace opened the door to the dungeons and began their descent.

  Anwyn and Dawyn continued on their way through the manor house, still with no servants willing to ask questions of any visitors. Dawyn suspected Tomas was in the throne room of his manor, perhaps holding court or a gathering of the nefarious individuals with whom they had fallen into bed. Dawyn led the way.

  Outside the main hall of the manor, Dawyn and Anwyn were challenged. A gray-haired man was standing there talking to one of the hulking guards. He turned at the sound of feet and offered them a tight smile while performing a cursory bow. The man was careful to bow to everyone it seemed, even if he didn’t know their rank. “How may I help you, good sir?” the man asked. “My name is Malcolm and I am the assistant of Lord Tomas.”

  “Hello, Malcolm,” Dawyn said with a nod. “My name is Dawyn Darklance and this is my companion, Anwyn. I am the commander of the Shadow Watch Guard in service to the king of Tar Ebon. I have urgent business that I must discuss the Lord Tomas and Lady Igraine. Are they present?”